The present invention relates generally to improvements in teaching aids and it relates particularly to an improved mannikin animated to simulate various physiological conditions and disorders.
The traditional practice for the training and testing of students in bedside diagnosis and the examination and monitoring of patients involves the employment of patients or subjects having the particular physiological conditions or disorders. However, while such training practice is of optimum value it is difficult to properly achieve since the availability of patients possessing the various conditions and disorders under study or observation at suitable times presents many problems even in large medical centers. Moreover, even when such patients are available, their well being, comfort and privacy are of primary importance and their repeated examination by feel, observation and with stethoscopes, sphygmomanometers and other instruments should be avoided.
Teaching aids of many types have been heretofore proposed and available to avoid the problems encountered by the use of actual subjects or patients but these possess numerous drawbacks.
Such a training apparatus which has achieved a considerable degree of acceptance is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,076 granted Sept. 26, 1972 to Gordon and Messmore and consists of a mannikin animated to simulate the conditions of many different disorders and a sound system providing in synchronism therewith the heart and pulse sounds accompanying such disorders. However, this training mannikin apparatus possesses many disadvantages. The animating mechanism is mechanically bulky and complicated, highly inefficient and awkward and inconvenient to adjust and of little versatility and adaptability. The sound generating system associated with the animating mechanism is likewise awkward and bulky and of little versatility and otherwise leaves much to be desired.